


Freezing

by Hopeful_Foolx



Series: Whumptober 2019 [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Delirium, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Character, Sickfic, Whumptober 2019, sick percy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 22:17:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20919527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hopeful_Foolx/pseuds/Hopeful_Foolx
Summary: He was drowning in freezing water again, he was so sure of it, like he did before when he escaped from Whitestone. - Percy gets sick. Vex is there.Whumptober Day 3 - Delirious





	Freezing

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in this fandom (whoop whoop!), so please let me know if I should leave or stay. I love commets and kudos, but I really understand that you, dear reader, might not have the time for one. Been there ;D  
I am not a native speaker of the english language, and I dont have a betareader, so I apologize for all mistakes & they are my own.

Percy did not remember everything. He remembered getting up one morning, but time was practically nonexistent now, so he was not sure when it was. He also remembered being led back to bed by someone. Someone he loved. There was not much after that, at least not much that would make any sense to him. It was too warm, everything burned around him, the same moment as he felt himself freezing again, freezing and even worse, drowning, and then there was something in his mouth and then he couldn’t breathe again, water, water making him drown.**  
**

He was drowning in freezing water again, he was so sure of it, like he did before when he escaped from Whitestone.

Drowning. Freezing. Burning.

“Please… please no-”

Percival was not a man to beg. He would rather chew off his tongue, but he was back, back in the cell down, deep down the castle he called home, home to his family, his parents, his siblings. He woke up in the dungeons again, chained to the cold floor and he couldn’t move. He tried to breathe but Ripley was there, he could hear her voice and he could not keep himself from begging her to stop. He saw her with Cassandra, he saw Cassandras still form in the snow, so small, his sister, his younger sister, who freed him, and she died, her blood the only warmth in the cold snow. The scene kept changing too fast after that. He begged Ripley to stop.

To stop.

But she cuts his lungs open, he still felt it, she asked questions but he doesn’t know, he doesn’t know what she wants and she kept hurting him.

And he can’t keep himself from screaming.

* * *

Vex must have fallen asleep in her chair more than just mere minutes ago. She felt it in the way her neck cracked when she moved her head, one look to see no change, Percy still laying in his bed, not moving apart from silent whimpers that escape his lips from time to time. She stood up, moved to loosen her muscles, keeping her eyes on the still white-haired form under the blankets. She was not the only worried one - Keyleth sat here before her, and Vax would be here taking it from her, no doubt bullying her into getting real sleep. They worried since yesterday morning, when Percy appeared for breakfast, white as a sheet, not eating more than a bit of bread and buried himself in his workshop after that, where Vex found him asleep hours later, dragging him off to bed with minimal effort. But he only seemed slightly feverish, having caught, nothing more he convinced them, but as time passed by it became worse, fever holding him in a tight grip, his nightmares causing him so scream. When she took over from Keyleth he was talking in celestial, breath hitching until a coughing fit caught him that made him pass out afterwards.

And now it was night, she could see the moon from the window if she payed it any attention, but she didn’t. She sat down on the bed, dipping a cloth in water and wiping Percy face clean from a mixture of tears and sweat. The other bowl next to the bed was blissfully empty after he vomited up what seemed like everything he had eaten in the last days. The healing spell hadn’t taken any effect, neither did the potion they forced him to drink when he first started to become delirious. And delirious he was. Talking in his sleep, screaming, but mostly just mumbling in all his languages, talking to people, to family who were not there. Not anymore.

“Please, no, stop, I-” He turned his head away from the cold, a violent shiver running through his body.

“Shh… Percy, Percival, you’re home. You’re okay. It’s okay…” She put the cloth away. Of course she knew of his nightmares, they all did, for as much time as they now traveled together it would have been impossible to keep it a secret. They knew. They grew so close over the last months. They became a family of choice.

She liked to think about that, sometimes. About how they all found each other, finding a new family in the process after losing one. Vex of course had Vax, but they were the only ones left. Percy seemed to be the last one of his. Grog had been left to die alone. Scanlan, Pike, Keyleth, they all had needed this. But it was foolish to pretend that everything was fine just because they were close - they all had their own darkness. Percy still thought himself to be less valuable than the others. It had gotten better over time, but she could still feel it breaking through. She wanted to punch him for not telling them that he wasn’t feeling well sooner, wanted to punch herself for not being more suspicious that morning, even if her rational part told her, that it was already too late then. When had it started? What was this illness? Why was it so bad?

She put a gentle hand on his burning forehead, stroking away a few strands of hair plastered there. He whimpered again, a sound so unusual for him.

“No- not- not you, no-” She bit her lip and adjusted the blankets, just so he was comfortable, the only thing she could do at this moment. He was shivering again, she noticed, before she turned her attention back to his face. His flickering eyes, as if he was struggling to open them. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to wake up like this, when there was no doubt he would be confused, wouldn’t be able to tell dream from reality at this moment. He had lashed out earlier, fighting against the grip of both Keyleth and Vax, surprisingly strong for his condition, before he went completely limp. There was no sign of him returning to consciousness since then, and Pike thought that worrysome, Vex had seen it in her face.

But there it was, a quiet moan and his eyes were open. Glassy, wet, staring at her. He mumbled something she couldn’t understand, one time, another, louder now, enough for her ears to pick it up. At least he wasn’t talking celestial this time, like he did before.

“I don’t know, I don’t know what you want… I don’t… I don’t know…” His voice was weak, tired. He seemed so confused it broke her heart, but she was grateful he seemed lucid enough not to lash out.

“Percy, it’s okay. It’s Vex, nobody’s going to hurt you, darling. It’s okay, you hear me? It’s okay… You’re delirious, you’re seeing things that are not there. It’s just the fever playing tricks with you, you’re safe, you’re with me.”

“No, you’re dead, you… you died, I saw you, she-” Vex managed a sad smile and took one of his shaking hands in hers, bringing it up to her lips to press a gentle kiss on his knuckles.

“I’m fine. Everybody’s fine, and you will be, you’re very sick.”

“You’re… Where…” He turned his head to the side, then back, looking at her again with that confused, hurt look on his face.

“What did I do…” He starts but can’t get there when he starts coughing again, violently this time, gagging at his own breaths as she gently turns him to the side to help him, stroking his back. There is nothing but a bit of water coming out of his mouth, no blood, thankfully. The way he coughed she was scared to have him cough up blood. It took minutes of coughing, harsh breathing and gasping for air until she gently wiped his face again, placing the cloth on his forehead even when he tried to turn away. The small movement had taken too much out of him, and she could feel him burning under her fingers.

“Nothing wrong, we’re home, Percy. We’re home, darling. Keyleth was here, Vax will come over any minute now. Scanlan talked about soup, but I don’t know if you should drink it, when he manages to get it together. Pike tried to heal you up, but whatever you caught, magic couldn’t cure it. So we’re here with you, and you don’t have to worry, we’re taking care of you, okay?” No answer, even though his eyes were still open and he looked at her.

“Vex?” His voice was calmer now, his breathing more even, even if she could still hear it, hear the way he struggled.

“Yes, yes it’s me.”

“Good… That is good…”

She didn’t let go of his hand for the rest of the night.

* * *

“Percy, can you open your eyes for me? Just a moment, please?”

It was warm. He was not freezing anymore, there was no water to drown him. No snow. It wasn’t cold, also not hot. Just… soft. He felt like he was floating. The voice was nice, actually quite nice, and he really wanted to keep floating for a few more minutes, rubbing his nose on soft sheets and dream of a room full of clocks, but he heard the voice and he wouldn’t be much of a gentleman to ignore it, he thought, so he obeyed.

It’s harder than he thought it should be, blinking heavy eyelids open, shutting them again when there is too much light, it’s too bright, trying again a moment later. Names come to him, he blinks at them tiredly, Pike, Vax’ildan, Pikes hand on his chest, Vax’s arms crossed, a frown on his face, not looking at him but at Pike. He vaguely remembered Vex, Vex being here with him, but his mind was foggy. Too foggy to remember. Voices, again.

“I called you when it felt like his fever was breaking, what do you think?” A male voice, also, nice. Voices floating around him, as he continued to float, letting his eyes fall close again. _It’s okay. I’m home._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Maty


End file.
